ABC to partner with LuckyChap Entertainment, Hoodlum and ABC Studios International on innovative new local Australian production

The ABC will partner with Golden Globe nominated production company LuckyChap Entertainment, Australian production company Hoodlum and ABC Studios International on a new 10-part series, retelling the work of Shakespeare from female perspectives.

The untitled project will be led by a female creative team who will produce ten standalone episodes, each based on a celebrated work of Shakespeare updated to comment on our modern, global society. The series is the first project to be announced from the partnership between the ABC, Australian production company Hoodlum (Harrow), LuckyChap Entertainment (I, Tonya) and ABC Studios International (Harrow).

Hoodlum, LuckyChap and ABC Studios International will work with female writers/writer-directors to updatethe Bard’s works with unique anddistinct voices, and reflect different cultures and areas. Series Concept Creator Giula Sandler will work across the series and will also pen one episode.

Margot Robbie and Brett Hedblom from LuckyChap, Tracey Robertson and Nathan Mayfield from Hoodlum, Keli Lee from ABC Studios International, and Sally Riley from ABC (Australia) are Executive Producers on the project, with Aran Michael from Aran Michael Management an Associate Producer.

LuckyChap Entertainment said: “We are thrilled about this Australian partnership as an opportunity to showcase unique, distinctly female voices in writing, and to demonstrate the high quality of the Australian film and television industry. The project will share diverse points of view, from writers representing the different cultures and areas within Australia, which many would not readily associate with works of Shakespeare.”

David Anderson, Director of Entertainment and Specialist for the ABC, said: “The ABC is thrilled to be able to develop this locally produced drama in partnership with LuckyChap Entertainment, Hoodlum and ABC Studios International.

“The ABC is dedicated to delivering high quality, relevant storytelling free to all Australians. We are excited that this female-led team celebrates strong female creative talent, transforming traditional classic tales from a very different era into modern and culturally diverse stories.”

Tracey Robertson from Hoodlum said: “This project will bring together leading and emerging female voices in Australian screen to re-imagine Shakespeare in a modern context.

“We're delighted to partner with ABC, ABC Studios International and LuckyChap on such an ambitious and exciting project. This is an incredibly original and bold approach for a Television series and I can't wait to see the stories that will emerge.”

Keli Lee, Managing Director at ABC Studios International said: “ABC Studios International is thrilled to be a partner in this unique project. This production is a chance to create something classic yet boldly original and modern. The works of Shakespeare are iconic and this will present them in a way they’ve never been seen before.”

This project will be produced in Australia, with filming anticipated to commence in late 2018. Disney Media Distribution will handle international distribution of the series outside of Australia.

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About LUCKYCHAP ENTERTAINMENT: LuckyChap Entertainment, founded in 2014, is an LA-based production company dedicated to championing strong female talent and stories, while providing a platform for a new generation of filmmakers to explore their craft. They are driven to produce and develop powerful narratives across film and television. LuckyChap Entertainment produced the Golden Globe Nominated film I, Tonya, starring Margot Robbie and Allison Janney. They recently wrapped production on the independent film Dreamland starring Margot Robbie and Travis Fimmel. LuckyChap Entertainment has several other projects currently in development and a first look production deal with Warner Bros. Studios. It’s impressive slate of projects include book adaptations of Bad Monkeys, written by Jessica Knoll and co-produced with Universal/Dylan Clark Productions; and the much-anticipated Fierce Kingdom and Augmented with Warner Brothers/Di Novi Pictures. LuckyChap Entertainment will co-produce the highly sought-after spec Marian, which stars Margot Robbie and is being produced in collaboration with Donald De Line and Amy Pascal and Dangerous Odds, which will also star Margot Robbie and produced with Bold Films and Management 360. LuckyChap Entertainment recently expanded its business with a television division and has already sold its first project under their Warner Bros. Television deal, Shattered Glass. LuckyChap Entertainment also recently sold the comedy Dollface to Hulu. They are co-producing it with Bryan Unkeless from Clubhouse Pictures.

About HOODLUM: Hoodlum is an Emmy® and BAFTA Award-winning production company founded in 1999 by Tracey Robertson and Nathan Mayfield. The company operates their offices in Brisbane, Australia, and in Los Angeles, developing feature film and television drama projects for the international marketplace. In 2014, Hoodlum produced the 6-part thriller starring Martin Henderson, Secrets & Lies, as the flagship TV drama for Network Ten Australia. Secrets & Lies was then remade in the USA for ABC starring Juliette Lewis and Ryan Phillippe. Season 2 of Secrets & Lies aired on ABC in 2016. Hoodlum then set up their LA office going on to produce a remake of The Strange Calls with NBC and 20th Century Fox. Previous film and television productions include Australia Day (2017), starring Bryan Brown, a feature film for Foxtel released in Australia theatrically through Icon Film Distribution; the 10-part drama series SLiDE for Foxtel’s Fox 8 Channel in Australia and The Strange Calls a 6-part narrative comedy series for Australia’s ABC. The company's most recent production, Harrow, with ABC Australia and ABC Studios International is currently screening on ABC. The 10-part series is ABCSI’s first scripted drama outside of the USA and stars Ioan Gruffudd. Hoodlum is currently in pre-production on the drama Tidelands, the first original series for Netflix in the territory.

About ABC STUDIOS INTERNATIONAL: ABC Studios International is the international division of ABC Studios, a global leader in the development, production and distribution of entertainment content and the home of Grey’s Anatomy, Lost, How to Get Away with Murder, Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Desperate Housewives, American Crime, When We Rise, Guerrilla, Quantico, Designated Survivor, Scandal, and many more. ABCSI is part of The Walt Disney Company, the home of world-renowned content creators Marvel, Pixar, and Lucasfilm, and networks ABC, ESPN, Freeform, and Disney Channels. ABCSI is developing international co-productions and local productions for a global audience; its first series, Harrow, a co-production with Hoodlum Entertainment and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, went into production in summer 2017 and currently airing in Australia. The 10-episode season stars Ioan Gruffudd (Liar, The Fantastic Four), is directed by Kate Dennis (The Handmaid’s Tale, GLOW), and is written by Stephen M. Irwin (Secrets & Lies).

About AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION (ABC): ABC is the independent source of Australian conversations, culture and stories, delivering commercial-free, free-to-air screen content via a multiplatform multi-channel network. ABC is the destination of choice for viewers and users seeking quality and diversity in screen content; in particular engaging audiences in distinctly Australian content across a wide variety of genres. ABC services include ABC, ABC COMEDY, ABC ME, ABC KIDS, ABC NEWS channel, ABC iview and ABC KIDS iview.

About ABC Television

ABC is the independent source of Australian conversations, culture and stories, delivering commercial-free, free-to-air screen content via a multiplatform multi-channel network. ABC is the destination of choice for viewers and users seeking quality and diversity in screen content; in particular engaging audiences in distinctly Australian content across a wide variety of genres.